THREE men who helped transfer nearly one tonne of meth in the middle of the ocean have been sentenced to jail.

The Australian Border Force said the men transported 992 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico to the vicinity of Norfolk Island in a yacht, Mo’Chuisle, in April 2020.

The men transferred the meth into another yacht, La Fayette, which had sailed around 1400 kilometres from Mooloolaba, Queensland with two crew on board.

Mo’Chuisle docked in Noumea, where local authorities searched the yacht and found evidence of a drug transfer.

The authorities passed information along to the ABF and Australian Federal Police, whose Maritime Border Command located La Fayette sailing toward Australia.

The next day, NSW Police Force Marine Command intercepted the yacht around 50 nautical miles east of Lake Macquarie.

On 24 April 2020, the three men who sailed Mo’Chuisle to New Caledonia arrived on a flight at Brisbane International Airport, where they were arrested and charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

ABF estimates the drugs had a street value of $495 million.

Elke West, ABF Acting Commander Trade and Travel East, said the ABF is playing a frontline role in protecting the Australian community from the supply of dangerous drugs.

“The Australian border is the gateway to our community at large and our officers are committed to detecting and deterring the importation of illicit substances,” A/g Commander West said.

“This result demonstrates that the ABF has a wide range of assets and capabilities that help keep us a step ahead of those who seek to profit from causing others harm.

“We continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners, but also the community has an important role to play. If you see something suspicious at the border, you can report it anonymously to Border Watch.”

The three men pleaded guilty on 3 November 2022 and were sentenced on 16 November to a combined 37 years in jail for their roles in the mid-ocean drug transfer.

A United Kingdom man, 40, was sentenced to 18 year’s imprisonment; another United Kingdom man, 55, was sentence to 7.5 years’ imprisonment; and a US man, 32, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.

The two men who sailed La Fayette to Norfolk Island to collect the drugs were both sentenced in July 2021.

A dual UK-South African national, 35, was sentenced to 16 years and six months’ in jail, while a New Zealand national, 34, was sentenced to seven years and six months in jail.